All I Want For Christmas Is You
by callie0612
Summary: Katniss and Peeta meet at a Christmas party. Cute, cozy AU. Everlark.


**I know I should still be working on Summer Love (omg I hate the title so much but I didn't know what else to call it) but I wanted to take a break. Somehow chapter three got deleted, so I have to redo the whole chapter.. :( but I got this idea and I know, I know... the title is super overused but idc.**

I swipe on some red lip gloss before taking one last look in the mirror. I hope I look alright, not like I'm trying too hard, considering I never really wear a lot of makeup. I have on dark skinny jeans, brown combat boots, a red jacket with white fur from a rabbit Gale shot a while back on the hood over a scoop neck navy sweater, and a red and white striped scarf. My hair is down and straightened, by my sister, Prim. She doesn't like the natural waves in her blonde hair, although I -and everyone else- tell her it's very pretty, so she's become accustomed to using a hair straightener.

Somehow, I've been invited to a party in town. Probably because Gale is a bit of a heartthrob- not that I'm objecting, he's a very handsome guy- in the school and since I'm his best friend, I also get to be the tag-along. The party is at Madge Undersee's house. Madge is a popular and pretty girl from town, so evidently her house is more like a mansion, even more so since her father is the mayor of District 12. The country is split up into 12 districts, each with a specific industry so that the products can be shipped here and there so every district has what it needs. Our industry is mining, you know, coal and stuff. Mostly men work underground, but a few women as well. My own father, along with Gale's, died in a mining accident a few years back. I miss him like crazy, so does Prim. We occasionally wake up in the middle of the night to each other's tears, which leads to both of us crying and hugging. I wish he were still here. Badly.

A lot of the town folk have other jobs, like bakers or bookshop owners or butchers. I have a job at a local bookstore, which pays a ridiculous amount each month, plenty for Prim and I to live off of. But all it pays is the rent, my mom sends money each month for food and the bills, ect. I don't buy many gifts or anything, the only time I do that is around Christmas for Prim and Gale. I'm mostly friends with Gale and his friends, Thom and Bristol. I'm not very familiar with any of Prim's friends, except for Rory, who's Gale's little brother. He's one year older than Prim, at fifteen years old. They've been friends for longer than Gale and I have. I've suspected a romance between them from when I saw Rory kiss her cheek when he walked her home once, but she hasn't told me much about him. At least not in that sort of... way.

I'm roasting in my jacket on the inside of our warm apartment. My job pays enough for us to continue renting it each month. It's a great deal, two bedrooms, one bathroom, a small fireplace. Nothing too extravagant. Although the money my mom sends us definitely covers to heating bill, and I can't stand one more roasting second in the apartment.

"Prim!" I yell. "I'm leaving now, I won't get back till you're asleep."

Prim wanders out of her room, in plaid pajama pants and a v neck. Her long hair is tied up in a messy bun, and she looks exhausted. "Can Rory come over?" She asks.

"Can you stay awake?" I laugh at my own joke, but she just narrows her eyes a little.

"Can he?"

"I guess so..." I say slowly. "It's kinda late, would he spend the night?"

"His mom said that would be okay," Prim says, hopefully.

"Alright then, but don't stay up too late... Actually I don't mind either way since it's break. Is there popcorn?"

"Yeah."

"Are you guys gonna watch that new movie Mom sent? I thought it looked awful." I say.

"It looks good!" Prim says defensively. "Not all rom-coms are bad, you know!"

I laugh. "If you say so. I gotta go, the party starts in-" I check the time. "Ten minutes and I have to walk. Bye. Love you." I kiss her hair and give her a quick hug.

"Bye!"

I walk out the door, into the dimly lit hallway. When I reach the elevator, I press the button and it zooms up quickly. The doors whiz open and I step inside. I share the small space with a boy around my age, and to say the least, he's got my heart beating rather rapidly. The smile he offers whisks the air from my lungs, and I blush and smile back.

"Hi," he says, his voice smooth and sweet. "I'm Peeta."

"Hi, I'm Katniss." I say, biting my lip a little to keep from grinning. I reach to press the lobby button, but it's already been pushed.

"Are you going to Madge's party, by any chance?" He asks. God, he's attractive. Dirty blond hair, and those impossibly beautiful blue eyes, a straight nose.

"Yeah," I say, and I am hopelessly blushing. "I'm guessing you are too?"

"Yeah," he says, and then looks down. "She's my best friend."

I'm not entirely sure why, but jealously washes over me, sending an unnerved feeling into my stomach. I force a smile. "Cool."

The elevator dings and the doors retract. We both try to step out, but he smiles with straight white teeth and let's me through. And I can't help it, for a minute I forget about Madge and blush profusely.

"Do you wanna walk there with me?" He asks. I nod, and he holds the lobby door open for me. The cold air stings my face and hands, and I stick my hands in the lined pockets of my jacket, shivering a little. My scarf covers my neck but I can feel the light drifting snowflakes land on my reddening cheeks. At least the cold hides my blush.

Peeta's hands are shoved into his pockets, and I can see his breath in the air as he breathes in and out. It's pretty dark out, even though it's only 8. "So, do you go to Redwood?" He asks, looking at me. Redwood is the high school closest to the apartment building.

"Yeah. I'm a junior this year." I say, looking straight ahead. I can feel the soft crunch of snow under my boots.

"Same," Peeta says. "I think I recognize you. Cool name, by the way. Katniss," he says, rolling the word around. I like the way he sounds when he says it. I smirk.

"Have you been to a lot of these parties before?" I ask him, glancing over at him. He looks back at me, and then stares at his feet.

"Yeah," he replies. "Uh... Well cause Madge's dad is barely ever home, you know, meetings out of town and such, and her mom is staying in a hospital for now. So her house is always open for parties, so she throws them as long and other people bring the... Um... Refreshments."

I raise an eyebrow. "Beer and such?"

He nods, giving me a half-hearted smile. "I never drink, of course. Hate what it does to people."

I nod in approval. "Me neither."

Peeta turns up the walkway to Madge's enormous house. "Here we are."

He pushes open the door, and all of a sudden loud music pours out of the house. Kids are everywhere, dancing, kissing, laughing. Drinking.

"Damn," I laugh. Peeta smiles at me, and puts a hand on my shoulder, guiding me into the kitchen. "Madge!" He yells over the music. He taps a girl's shoulder, and she turns around with a flip of straight blonde hair. She really is gorgeous, high cheekbones and pink lips. Madge smiles with a dimple in her cheek, and leans forwards to hug Peeta.

And then I'm face to face with Gale, who grins when he sees me. "Hey!" We both say, and he brushes a friendly kiss across my cheek before pulling me into a hug, which plasters a blush and smile onto my face. I guess I could go for Gale, since he's single, my friend, crazy attractive... The list goes on.

"You look nice," he compliments me, picking up some of my straightened hair in his big hands.

"Thanks," I accept the compliment. "You do too."

"Let's go outside, I'm roasting," he says, taking my hand and pulling me through the throng of people.

Outside, there's some nice landscaping and a huge patio. In the center of said patio is a large bonfire, tall and orange and crackling. Kids are surrounding it, laughing and roasting marshmallows. Gale sits down on a bench and motions for me to sit next to him. When I do, our knees touch, and he smiles at me.

Gale introduces me to some of his other friends, the more popular ones, and soon we're all laughing. I roast some marshmallows, and I'm surprisingly good at getting them evenly browned. Gale holds out the graham cracker and chocolate and I place the scalding marshmallow carefully onto the chocolate, which melts quickly.

I catch Peeta's gaze when I look over at him for a quick, bashful glance, but his eyes are already on me. He blinks and turns away, noticing that Madge is holding a s'more out for him.


End file.
